The team announced the move on Friday after the Bills finished 29th in offense. Their running attack fell to sixth after leading the league the past two seasons.

Buffalo scored just three points in last weekend’s wild-card round loss to Jacksonville, the franchise’s first playoff game in 18 years.

Bills coach McDermott was non-committal when discussing any coaching staff decisions during an end of the season news conference on Tuesday.

The decision also raised questions about the future of quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who has one year left on his contract.

Panthers hire Norv Turner as new offensive coordinator

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There will be a Turner family reunion in Charlotte.

The Carolina Panthers hired Norv Turner on Friday as their new offensive coordinator to replace Mike Shula, who was fired earlier in the week after seven seasons with the team.

Turner, 65 inherits an offense that includes a unique talent in quarterback Cam Newton, versatile running back Christian McCaffrey, reliable tight end Greg Olsen and a solid offensive line. However, while the Panthers finished 12th in the league scoring in 2017, they were just 28th in passing.

He’s the latest member of the Turner family to join the Panthers.

His brother, Ron Turner, works as the team’s offensive consultant and nephew Cameron is the assistant quarterbacks coach. Turner is expected to bring son Scott Turner on as quarterbacks coach.

Ron Rivera worked as defensive coordinator for Turner when he was the head coach of the San Diego Chargers before Rivera joined the Panthers as head coach in 2011. They have remained close friends.

"Norv has coached Hall of Famers, he’s set a lot of people on the career paths that they’ve had," Rivera said in a news release Friday. "I’m excited about his knowledge and his offensive prowess. It’s going to be invaluable to us have him evaluate our personnel and help take our quarterback to another level."

Turner comes to Carolina with a wealth of experience, having coached 32 seasons in the NFL, including 15 seasons as a head coach and 11 as an offensive coordinator. As offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys (1991-93), he helped the Cowboys win two Super Bowls.

He last worked with the Minnesota Vikings in 2016, but that ended abruptly with Turner resigning after seven games with the offense ranked 31st in the league.

Vikings undecided on whether to activate QB Sam Bradford

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn — Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer says he hasn’t made a decision regarding the status of quarterback Sam Bradford, who has practiced the last two weeks in an attempt to be activated from the injured reserve list.

Case Keenum will be the Vikings starting quarterback in Sunday’s NFC Divisional Round playoff game against the New Orleans Saints.

After practice on Friday, Zimmer refuted a report that Bradford might be activated.

Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweeted Friday the "Vikings plan to dress" Bradford, who hasn’t been active since Week 5 against the Chicago Bears.

"I don’t know how the Boston Globe would know because I haven’t made any decisions yet," Zimmer said.

Bradford was placed on the IR on Nov. 8 after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to clean his left knee. He became eligible to practice before the Vikings’ Week 17 game, but didn’t until the following Tuesday. Since then, he’s participated in five practices.

"It’s kind of hard to get (Bradford) reps when you’re getting your starter ready," Zimmer said. "Forty reps in a practice, and he gets five and Bridgewater gets five."

Bradford started in Week 1 against the Saints and passed for 346 yards, three touchdowns and a career high 143.0 passer rating, despite injuring his knee in the game.

Vikings cornerback Terence Newman (foot) was listed as questionable for Sunday. The veteran didn’t practice Thursday but was a limited participant on Friday.

The Bears also announced Friday that Chris Tabor will become special teams coordinator and Charles London will take over as running backs coach.

Helfrich led Oregon to a 37-16 record in four seasons as head coach. That included a run to the first College Football Playoff championship game at the end of the 2014 season with Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota at quarterback. He was fired on the heels of a 4-8 finish in 2016.

Before becoming the Ducks’ head coach, Helfrich was their quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator from 2009-12 under Chip Kelly. With their fast-paced and prolific spread-option offense, the Ducks went 46-7 during that time.

Helfrich didn’t call plays as Oregon’s offensive coordinator and he won’t in Chicago. New coach Matt Nagy plans to do that.

The Bears are looking to get the most out of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and emerge from one of the worst runs in franchise history.

They fired John Fox after three seasons with a 14-34 record that gave him the second-worst winning percentage for a Chicago coach. Nagy spent the past decade working under Andy Reid in Philadelphia and Kansas City, serving as the Chiefs’ sole offensive coordinator this past season.

He takes over a 5-11 team that missed the playoffs for the seventh straight season and hasn’t finished above .500 since Lovie Smith got fired after going 10-6 in 2012.

The development of Trubisky, the No. 2 overall draft pick last spring, will go a long way toward lifting an offense that ranked 30th overall and last in passing. But the Bears will need to acquire some play-making receivers, which they sorely lacked this past season.

Tabor spent the past seven seasons as Cleveland’s special teams coordinator. The Browns ranked sixth in kickoff return average against (21.8), seventh in the NFL in punt return average (9.9), ninth in total kick return yards (8,974) and 10th in total return yards allowed (7,627) during that time. Tabor was Chicago’s assistant special teams coach from 2008-2010.

London has spent nine seasons in the NFL — the past four as Houston’s running backs coach. He was an offensive assistant with the Bears from 2007-09.

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